Non-judgemental care when patients may have committed a crime

摘要

Any nurse may have contact with patients accused or convicted of an offence. But for nurses working in prisons, mental health units and even hospital emergency departments, caring for people who have been charged with or have committed serious crimes is part of the job. The Nursing and Midwifery Council code guides nurses to be professional in all situations by avoiding assumptions, treating people as individuals and upholding their dignity -whoever they are. But some nurses might be uncomfortable at the idea of coming into close contact with patients whose crimes may be strikingly at odds with their own values. Advanced nurse practitioner Deanna Mezen, who has worked in prisons for 13 years, strives to change the view of prison nursing and the individuals these nurses care for.